File cabinet and the like



April 7 K. c. EOLESKY ET AL. 224G367 FILE CABINET AND THE LIKE FiledJuly 6, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 29, mm. K. c. BOLESKY ET AL.

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W K. c. BOLESKY ETAL ZEW UW FILE CABINET AND THE LIKE Filed July 6, 19574 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Apr. 29, 1941 bir s eras ares or ies 10Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in filing cabinetsand the like.

Such cabinets usually comprise a vertically disposed series of drawersof substantial length, and upon the opening of any of these drawers theweight is shifted forwardly. Should more than one drawer be opened at atime this shifting of the weight may be suflicient to bring the centerof gravity forward of the base and cause the structure to tilt forwardand endanger the attendant. It is the purpose of this invention toprevent accidents of this character by rendering it impossible, in thenormal use of such cabinets, to open a second drawer while one drawer isopen.

The invention consists broadly in means for automatically securing allof the remaining drawers of the set against opening movement by theperformance of some act essential to the opening of any one drawer ofthe set. More specifically, it consists in means actuated by somenecessary step in the opening of any one of the drawers for interposingan obstacle to the opening of each of the remaining drawers, and forwithdrawing such obstacle by the closing movement of the drawer whichhas been opened.

In the accompanying drawings and the following specification severalforms in which the invention may vbe'embodied are shown and described.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a filing cabinet, one of its side wallsbeing removed;

Fig. 2 is a detail of a locking bar shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of one of the drawers and of thelocking means of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail view similar to Fig. 1, showing an open and a lockeddrawer;

Figs. 5 and 6 are details, respectively, on the lines 5-5 and ii--t ofFig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified form of the sametype of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a detail section on the line 8-8 of Fig. '7

Fig. 9 is a detail section in perspective of a portion of the structureshown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is an elevation of a cabinet provided with a modification of theinvention;

Fig. 11 is a detail :plan View of one of the drawers of this cabinet;

Fig. 12 is a detail vertical section of the cabinet showing the lockingmechanism and portions of two of the drawers; and

Fig. 13 is a detail section on the line i3l3 of Fig. 12.

In all of the illustrated embodiments of the Ill invention the casing ofthe cabinets may be of any suitable form. A conventional structure isillustrated. At l5 and It are shown certain uprights and cross bars; atill, l8 and it suitable sheet metal bottom, wall and top plates.

The drawers of the cabinet may be of any dered number, four being shown:by Way of illustration and being numbered, respectively, 29, ill, 22and 23. These drawers may be mounted within the casing in any desiredmanner. In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, the mounting ofthe drawers is of the so-called cradle type, in which each drawer isslidingly supported on a pair of longitudinally movable cradle bars 24,

which are of channel form and each of which reciproca'tes within a fixedchannel bar 25 secured to the side of the casing. Each drawer isprovided with a longitudinally disposed outstanding flange 26 along eachof its sides, which rides upon a pair of rollers 2i, 28, pivotallyattached to the Web of one of the cradle bars 2 1, one of these rollers,as 23, projecting through an aperture in the lower flange of this barand riding upon the lower flange of the bar 25 and transmitting the loadthereto. The cradle bar is prevented from tilting on the roller 28 as a:pivot by means of the roller 29, carried at its rearward end andhearing upwardly against the top flange of the bar 25.

As thus far described the cabinet is of ordinary and well knownconstruction.

A vertically disposed locking bar 30 is slidably mounted between a sidewall of the casing and the drawers, as shown being held between pairs ofguide lugs 3!, 32, secured to the outer faces of some or all of the bars25. The bar 33 carries a set of rollers, as 33, each rot'atably mountedon a stud 3 1, fixed in the bar, one such roller being located adjacentto each of the drawers and riding on the cradle bar 243 associatedtherewith, the upper flange of the bar 25 being apertured to accommodateit, as shown at 36. When all of the drawers are closed these rollersrest in recesses 3 3 formed in the upper faces of the cradle bars 2tassociated with the several drawers, which recesses now register withthe apertures 36. The rearward margins ill of the recesses 3% areinclined backwardly to constitute cams.

As any one of the drawers is drawn forward the cradle bar associatedtherewith travels forwardly, the roller 23 being turned by thefrictional engagement therewith of the flange 2t. The forward movementof the cradle bar causes the elevation of the bar Ell due to the actionof the cam 37 on the roller 33 associated with that drawer,

Upon the adjacent side wall of each drawer there is mounted a laterallyprojecting lug 381, so positioned that as the bar 3%) is raised by theopening of one of the drawers, the rollers 33 associated with theseveral drawers which are not opened are brought to rest immediatelybefore the lugs thereof, effectually preventing the opening of thesedrawers until the bar 30 is again lowered by the closing of the drawerwhich has been opened.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, a cabinet is shownwhich is not of the cradle type, the several drawers sliding on fixedways. The safety locking mechanism comprises a vertically movable bar40, preferably of channel form and reciprocating in the ways iii securedto the body of the casing, and carrying a series of rollers, as 42, oneassociated with each of the drawers and, when the bar is raised,engaging the forward face of a stop lug on the side of the drawer,thidetail of the locking means being substantially the same as that ofFigs. 1 to 6.

The means for raising the locking bar comprise an angle bar 43, securedalong the adjacent side, as 44, of each drawer, and having the forwardend of its outstanding flange inclined downwardly, as shown at 45, forengagement as the drawer is drawn forward, with the roller 42 associatedtherewith, and by a camming action raising the bar 4!! until the rollerrides upon the horizontal portion of the flange of the bar 43. Theforward end of the vertical flange of the bar 43 is bent outwardly withreference to the drawer side, as shown at 46, and is located immediatelyback of the position to which the roller 42 associated with that drawershall be raised by the opening of another drawer.

As the bar lll is raised by the opening of any one of the drawers of theset its rollers associated with the other drawers are brought to aposition immediately in front of the outstanding lugs 46 thereof, andeifectually prevent the opening of these drawers until the bar M! isagain lowered by the closing of the drawer which has been opened. Uponthe closing of the now opened drawer the roller 42 associated therewithwill travel down the camming flange 45, the bar 46, moving downwardlywith it, again brings the parts of the automatic locking mechanism intosuch position that any of the drawers maybe opened and will, in movingforward, securely look all of the remaining drawers in closed position,as hereinbefore described.

The two forms of construction thus far described are of like type inthat the automatic lock- I ing action is accomplished by the openingmovement of a drawer.

Another type of the invention comprises an automatic lock for eachdrawer, the releasing of any one of which interposes obstacles to therelease of each of the locks associated with other drawers of the set,such obstacles being removed by the closing of the drawer which had beenopened but leaving all of the locks in their previous automaticengagement.

One form of this type of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 10 to 13of the drawings. At 50 there is shown a front elevation of a cabinetcontaining a set of drawers all of which are equipped with lockingmechanisms of like form, the push buttons or plungers thereof beingindicated at to 54. These plungers are mounted in a vertical housing 55,of channel form, shown as continuous, though it may be sectional,secured tothe inner face of the side and front walls 56, 51,

of the cabinet, and project through the wall 51 and the rear wall of thehousing. Each plunger carries on its stem an expansion spring, as 58,which reacts between the rear wall of the housing and a button 59, fixedupon the plunger stem, and which normally holds the plunger extendedoutwardly through the cabinet front. The forward or inner end of eachplunger carries a beveled, preferably a cone-shaped, head 60, having anannularly channeled stem 6!.

A look lever 62, having a pair of hinge lugs 63, is pivoted between apair of fixed lugs 64 projecting inwardly from the side wall 5'5 of thecabinet, its inner end being normally engaged with the forward face of abracket secured to the side of a drawer, as 65, when the drawer isclosed, by the action of a spring, as shown at 61, and prevents theopening of the drawer. The power end of the lock lever has a lateralflange 68, which normally engages the inclined face fill of the head ofthe plunger 53, and as the plunger is pushed forward rides up on thisface, swinging the lever on its pivot to carry it out of engagement withthe bracket 65. As the plunger continues to advance the flange 58 entersthe annular channel at the base of the head 6:, thereby preventing thewithdrawal of the plunger and also the reengagement of the lock leverwith the bracket 65.

The drawer, as shown being the lower one, thus unlocked may now be drawnout freely, but the unlocking of this drawer has interposed an effectiveobstacle to the release of the automatic locks associated with the otherdrawers of the set.

While this latter action may be accomplished by other means there isshown for this purpose a vertically slidable bar 69 of channel section,suitably secured to the casing, as the rearward wall of the housing 55,as shown.

The web of the channel bar 69 is provided with a series of keyholeapertures 12, one associated with the automatic lock of each drawer. Theheads of these apertures are of sufficient diameter to receive the stem8! of the plunger head, the outward movement of the plunger beingarrested by the contact of this head with the web of the bar, now inregister with the annular channel of the stem of the plunger head.Immediately above each of the apertures 12 the web of the bar 69 is cutto form a tongue 13, which is bent inwardly but inclined downward overthe conical head 60 of the plunger, with which it cooperates in acamming action, to raise the channel bar when the plunger is advanced.

The several tongues F3 are normally spaced a short distance from theheads of the plungers with which they are associated, as indicated indotted lines at 13*, providing lost motion to permit the stem El toclear the bar before its upward movement commences. Preferably the heads69 are given a cylindrical form adjacent their bases to afford ahorizontal seat for the tongue '13 associated with the plunger that hasbeen advanced.

The upward movement of the bar 69 brings the stem of the keyholeapertures I2 associated with the plungers which have not beenmanipulated into interlocking cooperation with the annular channels ofthe stems 6| thereof, thereby preventing the release of the automaticlocks of all of the remaining drawers.

To provide for the relocking of the drawer.

which has been opened, when it is again closed a pivoted tripping cam I4is pivotally mounted with or upon the bracket 65 and normally advancedby a light spring 15 to the position of Fig. 11, where it engages a stopindicated at 16. When the drawer is drawn forward this cam escapes pastthe end of the lever by the yielding of the spring 15. As the drawer isclosed the cam 14, being now in the solid line position of Fig. 11 andof such radial dimension that it engages the lock lever now in thedotted lines position, tilts it suificiently to disengage the flange 68from the groove at the base of the plunger head, permitting the outwardmovement of the plunger, as 54, the dropping of the channel bar 69, andits consequent disengagement from the plungers associated with the otherdrawers, and reengaging the locking lever associated with the presentlyclosed drawer with the bracket 65 thereof.

Either type of the invention illustrated may be embodied in otherspecific forms, within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim as our invention- 1. In a filing cabinet and the like, incombination, a case, a series of drawers mounted in the case, avertically reciprocable element mounted on the case and crossing theseveral drawers, a locking detent associated with each drawer andmovable into locking engagement with closed drawers by moving thereciprocable element in a vertical plane, and means associated with eachdrawer for moving said element as the drawer is opened and for loweringthe element without further manipulation as the drawer is closed.

2. In a filing cabinet and the like, in combination, a casing, avertical series of drawers mounted therein, drawer supports comprisingfor each drawer fixed channel bars, floating channel bars rollersupported thereon-and longitudinal outstanding fianges fixed to thedrawer sides and riding on rollers associated with the floating bars, aforwardly facing shoulder on a side of each drawer, a vertically movablebar mounted in the casing and extending past the several drawers,instanding rollers carried by such bar and located one adjacent to eachdrawer and each normally riding on an upwardly and backwardly inclinedflange of a floating bar associated with one of the drawers, wherebyupon the opening of any one of the drawers the remaining drawers arelocked by the engagement of the rollers carried by the verticallymovable bar with the shoulders on said drawers.

3. In a filing cabinet and the like, in combination, a case, a series ofdrawers mounted in the case, a vertically reciprocable bar mounted onthe case and crossing the several drawers and carrying a series ofrollers one thereof associated with each drawer, a backwardly andupwardly inclined bracket attached to each drawer and engageable with aroller upon the initial opening movement of the drawer for raising therollers, and a shoulder outstanding from each drawer for engaging araised roller to prevent the opening of the other drawers.

4. In a filing cabinet and the like, in combination, a case, a set ofdrawers mounted in the case, a vertically reciprocable bar mounted onthe case and crossing the several drawers and carrying a series ofrollers one thereof associated with each drawer, means carried by eachdrawer engageable by the roller associated with the drawer for raisingthe bar as the drawer is opened and for lowering the bar when the draweris closed under any conditions, and means carried by the drawerengageable by the roller associated therewith for locking the otherdrawers against opening movement.

5. In a filing cabinet or the like, in combination, a case, a set ofdrawers mounted in the case, automatically engageable and manuallyreleasable locking mechanism for each drawer, and means actuated by therelease of the locking mechanism of each drawer for preventing therelease of the locking mechanism of the remainder of the drawers.

6. In a filing cabinet and the like, in combination, a case, a set ofdrawers mounted in the case, means for automatically locking eachdrawer, and manually controlled means associated with each drawer forsimultaneously releasing the locking means therefor and for renderingthe releasing means of other drawers inoperative.

7. In a filing cabinet and the like, in combination, a case, a set ofdrawers mounted in the case, means for automatically locking eachdrawer, manually controlled means associated with each drawer forsimultaneously releasing the locking means therefor and for renderingthe releasing means of other drawers inoperative, and means actuated bythe closing movement of each drawer for reengaging the locking meansthereof and for restoring the action of the manual releasing means ofthe remaining drawers.

8. In a filing cabinet and the like, in combination, a case, a set ofdrawers mounted in the case, a spring-advanced locking lever carried bythe case and associated with each drawer, a springretracted push rodcarried by the case for controlling each lever and interlockingtherewith 1 when advanced, a slidable bar carried by the case andbeingvertically movable by each rod into locking engagement with theremaining rods, and means carried by each drawer for eifecting thedisengagement of the rod and lever associated therewith upon the closingof the drawer.

9. In a filing cabinet and the like, in combination, a case, a set ofdrawers carried by the case, each drawer being provided with automaticlocking means comprising a locking lever having a lateral flange at itspower end, a spring retracted push rod having a beveled head providedwith an annularly channeled stem for engaging the lever, said case beingprovided with a vertically slidable bar having lips for engaging thebeveled faces of the several heads and keyhole apertures cooperatingwith the stems of the several push rods for locking the rods againstreciprocation, and means carried by each drawer for disengaging thelocking lever and push rod head upon the closing of the drawer.

10. In a filing cabinet and the like, in combination, a case, a set ofdrawers, means for locking the remainder of said drawers in closedposition when any one of said drawers is in open position, said meanscomprising a single vertically reciprocable bar extending across saiddrawers, and means associated with said drawers and cooperating withsaid bar .for moving "said bar to elevated position for preventing theopening of the remainder of said drawers when any one of the same is inopen position and for releasing said bar when said one drawer is closedso that any of said drawers may then be opened at will.

KENNETH C. BOLES-KY. FRITZ A. SAAF.

